Reed and reed-plate construction for mouth-organs



E. LAMPRECHT.

REED AND REED PLATE CONSTRUCTION FOR MOUTH OBGANS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 23. I918.

1,319,9 Patented Oct. 28,1919.

! mm 7 m; w /5 /7 I l Va 1 I J L i l6 A? Int/670622 V/Z'ZZGHSJGG, JEmZJZZnWa rec-k6 a EMIL LAMPREGI-IT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

REED AND REED-PLATE CONSTRUCTION FOR MOUTH-ORGAN S.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed September 23, 1918. Serial No. 255,228.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E-MIL LAMPREOHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reed and Reed-Plate Construction for Mouth-Organs, of which the following is a specification.

Prior to my invention, the reeds of mouth organs were usually produced, in order to secure the proper tone, by grinding or milling the reeds to various thicknesses. The reeds thus made varied in thickness within their lengths and each of the reeds had to be separately ground or milled. These reeds were riveted to the reed plates and in order to secure a proper width for riveting the reeds wer usually made with an enlarged end, or, in other words, an end of greater width than the major portion of the length of the reed. This prior method of manufacture was expensive, slow, and insured practically no accuracy to the quality of tones produced.

One object of my invention is to do away with the necessity of grinding and milling mouth organ reeds so that flat wire of even thickness can be used and secured to the reed plates in such manner as to insure accurate tones.

Another object of my invention is to reduce the cost of manufacture of mouth organs.

Another object is to so construct my invention that the reeds will be securely held in position over the reed slots of the reed base so that they cannot swing or become laterally distorted as often occurs with reeds of mouth organsin which one end of each of the reeds is riveted by a single rivet; it being well known that reeds thus riveted often become loose and swing on the rivets as pivots.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a section of a mouth organ reed plate made in accordance with my invention, showing the same before the reeds are mounted thereon,

Fig. 3 is a view of similar nature to Fig. 2, showing the reeds secured in position,

Fig. a is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 9 represents a reed plate having slots 10 therein in line with which the reeds are mounted, as will hereinafter be more thoroughly described. The reed plate 9 has parallel slits or cuts 11 and 12 extending entirely through its thickness, there being two slits formed adjacent each of the slots, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. v

The metal 13 between each of the slits 11 and 12 is first pressed or bowed outwardly in the form of a loop, and afterward the reeds 14 are slipped under the loops 13 so as to lie flat against the surface 15 of the reed plate 9 and so that the major portions of the reeds are over and in alinement with their respective slots 10.

After the reeds have been thus placed, the loops 13 are forced inwardly and at the same time are canted or moved in the direction of the length of the slots 10 until they become opposite the portions 16 of the reed plate which lie between the adjacent ends of the slots and the slits 11. The loops 13 firmly bind the reeds 14c to the portions 16 of the reed plate 9 and, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, the reeds will remain substantially parallel to the surface 15 of the reed plate 9.

, When thus secured, the portions 17 of the reeds are free to vibrate and the tone will be positive, clear and free from any blurring sound. In other words, the position of the edge surface 18 extending transversely across the reeds insures positive vibrations of the portions 17 of the reeds 14- Thus all the reeds in the mouth organ are constantly maintained'in proper pitch.

It will be noted that by clamping the reeds 14 by the loops 13 in such manner that the edges 18 of said loops are in the are held directly in alinement with the slots 10 and cannot be accidentally displaced.

Furthermore, by the above construction the reeds will be held in flat, even contact with the surface 15 of the reed plate 9 and the reeds can be cut in varying lengths from a metallic ribbon or wire. It will be noted that the reed plate 9 is preferably made of a metal and in which the loops 13 can be readily formed and manipulated as above described, Without fracturing or injuring the remaining portion of the plate, for example, brass or other malleable material. can be employed.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it Will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The combination of a reed plate having slots therein; and reeds over said slots, said plate including continuous bowed loops formed by cuts produced entirely within the peripheral edges of said reed plate whereby the loops are integrally connected at their ends with the plate, said loops being bent so as to clamp said reeds to said plate; sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed. my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL LAMPRECHT.

Witnesses:

MARY A. INGLAR, CHAs. E. Porrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. I). 0. 

